Hawaiian Buns

These pillowy soft dinner rolls are lightly, irresistibly sweet

thanks to pineapple juice and brown sugar. The pineapple
flavor is subtle, but it'll have you going back for bite after
bite. Sweet dough rises slower than those without sugar, and
these are no exception. Power through the long rises;
though; these addictive buns are so worth it.

By the way, this dough makes absolutely delicious

hamburger buns; see the tips at the bottom of the recipe for
complete instructions. AT A GLANCE
Sponge PREP
1/4 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 30 mins.
1 tablespoon instant yeast, SAF Gold instant yeast
preferred BAKE
2 tablespoons water 20 mins. to 25 mins.

Dough TOTAL
1/2 cup pineapple juice, canned 4 hrs 15 mins.
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) softened, unsalted butter YIELD
1/3 cup brown sugar 16 buns
2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, white reserved
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 tablespoons potato flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Directions
1. For the sponge: In the bowl of your stand mixer or the
bucket of your bread machine, combine the sponge
ingredients. Allow the sponge to rest for 15 minutes.
2. Add the pineapple juice, butter, brown sugar, eggs and
yolk, and vanilla, mixing until well combined.
3. Whisk together the remaining flour, potato flour, and salt
before adding to the liquid ingredients.
 4. Mix and knead until the dough is cohesive and smooth; it'll
be very sticky at first. If you're using a stand mixer, beat
with the flat beater for about 3 minutes at medium-high
speed; then scrape the dough into the center of the bowl,
switch to the dough hook, and knead for about 5 minutes
at medium speed. It may have formed a very soft ball, but
will probably still be sticking to the bottom of the bowl. If
you're using a bread machine, simply let it go through its
entire cycle. If you find the dough isn't coming together, add
a tablespoon or two of flour.
5. Lightly grease the mixing bowl or a large (8-cup) measure;
round the dough into a ball, and place it in the bowl or
measure. Cover, and let rise until very puffy, about 1 1/2 to
2 hours. If you're using a bread machine and the dough
hasn't doubled in size when the cycle is complete, simply
let it rest in the machine for another 30 to 60 minutes.
6. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan.
7. Gently deflate the dough. Divide it into 16 equal pieces, by
dividing in half, then in halves again, etc. Round each piece
into a smooth ball. Space the buns in the pan.
8. Tent the dough gently with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let
the dough rise in the pan for 1 hour, until it's nicely puffy.
Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to
350°F.
9. Mix the reserved egg white with 1 tablespoon cold water,
and brush some onto the surface of the rolls; this will give
them a satiny crust.
10. Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the internal
temperature reads 190°F on a digital thermometer.
11. Remove the rolls from the oven, and after a few minutes,
turn them out onto a cooling rack.
12. Serve warm. Store leftovers, well wrapped, at room
temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.
13. Yield: 16 buns

Tips from our bakers

Sweet breads can be agonizingly slow risers. Why? Because
sugar attracts water, and when it's in bread dough, it pulls
water away from yeast — leaving the yeast thirsty and unable
to grow. If you're using regular yeast not formulated for
sweet dough, you may find the rising time for these rolls will
be longer by 30 minutes or more for each rise.
This is a very wet dough, and can be tricky to handle. If
you're having difficulty, we suggest lightly oiling your hands
and counter before attempting to roll out the buns.
If you want to use fresh pineapple juice: microwave the juice
for 2 minutes until it reaches 200°F and allow to cool to
lukewarm before using. The process of heating will kill any
enzymes in the juice, which would otherwise destroy the
gluten.
To make hamburger-sized buns, prepare the dough
according to the recipe instructions, and after the rise divide
it into six equal pieces. Round each piece into a smooth ball,
and place them into the lightly-greased wells of a hamburger
bun pan, flattening them gently. Let the buns rise for an hour,
until they fill the wells and are nicely puffy, then brush the
rolls with the egg wash, and bake them for 20 to 25 minutes
until they're a deep golden brown.